The purpose of a personal essay is to position yourself as the prime candidate to be picked for admission.
Why are personal essays needed?
Personal essays allow the school to gauge you and your abilities on a non-academic basis. It is easy for us to see how well you’ve done in school, but personal essays provide a secondary window for the admissions counselors to get to know you better and gauge your potential to thrive. It helps to bring depth and understanding to a transcript, allowing you to offer more than your GPA and test scores.
What should I include in my essay?
Your personal essay should begin by capturing attention. This is where you make yourself stand out from the crowd. Tell us something unique about yourself! Expand on this and other parts of your story. A funny story is great, but keep it short. Finally, let the reader in on something important about yourself that they couldn’t glean from your application. Remember, the purpose of the essay is to show that you’re able to communicate well, and to help the reader understand you, your ambitions, and how you’d fit into the school’s environment. A well-structured and grammatically-correct essay will go a long way, but don’t fret over absolute perfection . . . this isn’t a thesis paper!
How long should the essay be?
As long as you feel you need to showcase yourself! However, multiple page essays generally contain more information than the admissions counselors need. Remember to highlight yourself and achievements in a thoughtful and deliberate way. A concise essay which clearly defines you is perfect!
